Here's to Connect Smart Week

This week is Connect Smart week, New Zealand’s cyber security awareness week, and it’s a great reminder about how we can all be smarter internet security. Here are InternetNZ we’re ConnectSmart partners because Internet security is something we care about. We work to promote the benefits and protect the potential of an open and uncapturable Internet. When New Zealanders are scammed, have their computers locked and ransomed back to them, have their private photos stolen it can make them less likely to use the Internet, see its potential and then benefit themselves, their family and their business.

There are almost 460,000 businesses with under 20 employees (‘small’ businesses). That’s a lot of small operations relying on the ‘IT guy’ (if they even have an IT specialist) and as we heard at the launch of ConnectSmart week 2015, some 60% of cyber-attacks in New Zealand are directed at small-to-medium businesses.

Wowzah, that’s a whole stack of problems and badness! Fortunately, this ConnectSmart week will focus will be on small to medium organisations. We’re looking forward to taking part in the ConnectSmart week and sharing some of the myths and realities of Internet security. So, go check out www.connectsmart.govt.nz, see what’s happening in social media-land under the #ConnectSmart hashtag.

We’re also dedicating more of our brain power and elbow grease to Internet security issues this year so keep an eye out for more information in the coming months.